Achievements in Sport
6. October 2022BLANKA TOMÁŠKOVÁ, a recent graduate of the English for Managerial Practice programme, spends her free time at sports venues and competitions. Her focus is on shot put and hammer throw, with occasional participation in discus throw. For over six years, she has been a member of the Czech national team, attending its training camps. Blanka has been involved in athletics for ten years and competes for the AC Slovácká Slavia club in Uherské Hradiště.
What are her greatest achievements so far?
“My biggest accomplishments include four Czech Championship titles (three in the junior category and one in the U22 category), two Academic Czech Championship titles in shot put (2019 and 2021), and participation in several international events as a member of the Czech team, including meets in Germany and Austria, as well as the U22 European Championships this year, where I finished in 18th place. Last year, I also brought home two bronze medals from the Czech U22 Championships in shot put and hammer throw. My personal bests are 57.64 m in hammer throw (2020), 46.58 m in discus throw (2019), and 14.86 m in shot put (2021).”
ZUZANA PONÍŽILOVÁ
a second-year student of the German for Managerial Practice programme, has been dedicated to rhythmic gymnastics for over 12 years, during which she has won multiple Czech Championship titles. Rhythmic gymnastics is an artistic sport combining graceful movement, flexibility, ballet, and gymnastics, accompanied by music and apparatus such as ribbons, balls, hoops, ropes, and clubs.
“I train with the MG Elite Zlín club, where I also work as a coach and judge. I even lead online training sessions for gymnasts worldwide via Zoom, collaborating with British gymnast Mimi-Isabella César. I compete in the individual category with two routines using different equipment. My biggest achievements include 12 gold medals from the Czech Championships. My most recent success was winning two gold medals at the Czech Championships in the combined programme, held on 5th–6th June 2022 in Prague.”
LUCIE DAŇKOVÁ, a second-year student of the Early Childhood Education programme, excels in classic powerlifting. As the name suggests, this competition consists of three disciplines – squat with a large barbell on the back, bench-press/bench press and the last discipline is the deadlift. Her latest success was competing in the 2022 European University Classic (RAW) Powerlifting Cup, held from 24th–27th March in Hamm, Luxembourg. There, representing Tomas Bata University in Zlín, she recorded a 145 kg squat, a 92.5 kg bench press, and a 152.5 kg deadlift. In a tough competition of 113 nominated triathletes, she won 2nd place overall, 1st place in the individual discipline squat and 2nd place in the individual discipline bench.
“I’ve been competing for six years and have been working out for over eight years. My biggest achievements include two Czech Championship titles in powerlifting, multiple Czech Championships in RAW and equipped bench press, third place at the European Championships in Lithuania, and more. I started going to the gym very early, drawn by the challenge of lifting heavy weights. After my first powerlifting competition, I was hooked. It’s an incredibly fascinating sport that you can’t help but fall in love with.”